Which port would you like to see next for the SGM

[Pixelboy]

Oh boy, should I make DK Collection after all?....

 

Keep it for later.

[NIAD]

Oh boy, should I make DK Collection after all?....

In full Opcode style glory... that would be cool! You could continue on the trend that Coleco set years ago with their initial CV releases of games on cartridge and then the planned SuperGame releases for the Super Game Module... which we all know turned into the ADAM Super Games. You could...

 

Add additional levels not in the arcade games like Coleco had originally planned to do with the Super Games, but that Nintendo objected to. You have some pretty good examples to use from the Donkey Kong II arcade roms and also Coleco's own unreleased version of Super DK Junior with the added 5th screen/level. I'm pretty sure that Super DK also got the same treatment with an added 5th level, but no one was ever fortunate enough to come across this version that I know of.

Add a hidden game like you did with Pac-Man Collection... can we say Donkey Kong 3.

 

I know, easier said than done, but at least next year you won't have Luc bothering to get all these ports completed and debugged!

 

Here are in-game screenshots of the 5th level from the unreleased Super DK Jr. games:

[Pixelboy]

I know, easier said than done, but at least next year you won't have Luc bothering to get all these ports completed and debugged!

 

Hey now just a minute! Eduardo's the one who came to ME about publishing these ports! Well, actually, it was more like a mutual agreement reached after casual discussions, but still!

[opcode]

Luc, you heard the man. Now stop bothering me, take a seat and be patient...

Edited March 24, 2012 by opcode

[Pixelboy]

Luc, you heard the man. Now stop bothering me, take a seat and be patient...

 

Oh boo you!

[opcode]

Oh boy, should I make DK Collection after all?....

In full Opcode style glory... that would be cool! You could continue on the trend that Coleco set years ago with their initial CV releases of games on cartridge and then the planned SuperGame releases for the Super Game Module... which we all know turned into the ADAM Super Games. You could...

 

Add additional levels not in the arcade games like Coleco had originally planned to do with the Super Games, but that Nintendo objected to. You have some pretty good examples to use from the Donkey Kong II arcade roms and also Coleco's own unreleased version of Super DK Junior with the added 5th screen/level. I'm pretty sure that Super DK also got the same treatment with an added 5th level, but no one was ever fortunate enough to come across this version that I know of.

Add a hidden game like you did with Pac-Man Collection... can we say Donkey Kong 3.

 

I know, easier said than done, but at least next year you won't have Luc bothering to get all these ports completed and debugged!

 

Here are in-game screenshots of the 5th level from the unreleased Super DK Jr. games:

 

I remember that I contacted Paul Jaquays about the lost levels, and here is what he had to say:

 

I wish I did have something surviving from those Donkey Kong designs. I know we had done the large format paper layouts of the screens in colored marker and may have even constructed the game level screens in the ColecoVision, but the project was shut down and mothballed before things became playable. I don't even know if that paper art survived long enough to even make the move from the old to the new offices.

 

All I do remember is that they were done in the spirit and style of the original and involved mostly the same enemies. Just different puzzles and patterns to solve. At least one of the games (Donkey Kong or DK Jr.) had some kind of factory sequence, possibly involving cakes.

 

It's entirely possible that portions of the game levels were implemented and then "rescued" by former Coleco people. I'm reasonably certain that nothing official was ever released. Nintendo would not allow Coleco to make original content for their license. At the time we were disappointed. But years later (and a lot more experience in dealing with licensed product) I understand their point of view.

 

And I think I forgot to post about that here, but last year I had the chance to go to Hartford, Connecticut, so I decide to pay the old Coleco HQ a visit. Once I got there I couldn't find the building. I was in the correct address, but I couldn't find the building number. So I started asking around. Nobody seemed to know anything about Coleco. I was about to give up when I decide to go ask at an elderly home or something and an old lady there finally solved the puzzle: "oh, that company that made those ugly dolls in the 80s? Their factory was accros the street, but they demolished the building years ago to build a cond". Imagine that, my trip was saved by the Cabbage Patch Kids!

So there you have it, elderly homes are the place to go ask when looking for clues regarding golden age classic gaming history.

Edited March 24, 2012 by opcode

[BioForceApe]

Dig Dug is pretty good for a port.

 

I really admit it. It goes good for a quality in much TV's. :3

Edited March 24, 2012 by BioForceApe

[NIAD]

Thank god Luc didn't take offence to my "tongue in cheek" comment... as you know I'm good for a doozy every now and then.

 

That is a great bit of detailed history that you provided from Paul Jaquays and it jives with what I heard back in the late '80's from another former employee. At least the five screen/level version of DK Junior was acquired and saved for the ages for all to enjoy.

 

Damn Nintendo, I guess they were out to sink Coleco's ship all along so that they could take over the VideoGame Industry. Thankfully for them that Atari turned down the offer to acquire/distribute the NES in North America. Can you imagine if Atari had agreed to this, the NES probably wouldn't have seen the light of day until the 90's... if at all.

Edited March 24, 2012 by NIAD

[Pixelboy]

Thank god Luc didn't take offence to my "tongue in cheek" comment... as you know I'm good for a doozy every now and then.

 

I could never get mad at you, Jim. You're such a SWEAT guy...

[BillyHW]

Why don't you make Donkey Kong II: Jumpman Returns? Wouldn't you be able to do that the quickest of all?

[NIAD]

Thank god Luc didn't take offence to my "tongue in cheek" comment... as you know I'm good for a doozy every now and then.

 

I could never get mad at you, Jim. You're such a SWEAT guy...

Just how do you mean "SWEAT" because I don't roll THAT way.

 

Ah, now I remember.... I guess you're never going to let me live down a little spelling error. I guess I'm going to have to run all my future posts through a spelling checker.

[Pixelboy]

Thank god Luc didn't take offence to my "tongue in cheek" comment... as you know I'm good for a doozy every now and then.

 

I could never get mad at you, Jim. You're such a SWEAT guy...

Just how do you mean "SWEAT" because I don't roll THAT way.

 

Ah, now I remember.... I guess you're never going to let me live down a little spelling error. I guess I'm going to have to run all my future posts through a spelling checker.

 

[CV Gus]

Popeye.

 

For non-SGM games, though- I know this is silly, but- "got it right" versions of Mr. Do! and Space Fury would be nice.

[opcode]

Now look that, we have a draw....

That means I pick the winner.

[segagamer99]

Now look that, we have a draw....

That means I pick the winner.

 

I'd say Pengo. The NES version of DK Jr. already has all four stages, unlike Donkey Kong NES. I've always wanted to play Pengo on a home system. Also, none of the ports use the Popcorn theme, which I love.

 

Fun fact: Did you know that Pengo appears in the SG-1000 game Champion Boxing when you beat an opponent?

[cimerians]

Hmmm at first I thought DK Jr. but the NES port was pretty good so Popeye or Pengo sound better.

[kaz321123]

I voted for Donkey Kong Jr. but I have a few games I'd love to see:

 

1. Karate Champ (I pumped so many quarters into this game when I was younger), I even once played it all the way till the first screen repeated a second time through.

2. Kung Fu Master

3. Gyruss

 

4. Arcade perfect Jr. Pac-man and Super Pac-man

 

I hope you don't mind me posting a 'wish list'

[opcode]

I voted for Donkey Kong Jr. but I have a few games I'd love to see:

 

1. Karate Champ (I pumped so many quarters into this game when I was younger), I even once played it all the way till the first screen repeated a second time through.

2. Kung Fu Master

3. Gyruss

 

4. Arcade perfect Jr. Pac-man and Super Pac-man

 

I hope you don't mind me posting a 'wish list'

 

Not at all. In fact your 3 top choices are in "the catalog".

[Pixelboy]

Looking at the poll today, I'm really surprised by the lead that DK Jr has taken over the others.

[ColecoDan]

I think everyone probably has more experience with donkey kong games and that is probably why. Otherwise I am sure everone that voted really wants to play all of those choices.

[tomjscott]

You're both being deceived by statistics. What the poll means in reality is that over 64% of people want to see something other than DKJ. To get a true understanding of popularity you would need to have people rank them and then you assign points in descending order. Then, by virtue of people's second, third and fourth choices, you could figure out just how high up DKJ really is.

 

An extreme example of how just how silly some statistics are, imagine a poll where there are 100 choices and 100 people voted. 80 people voted for 80 unique items in the poll and 20 vote for the same item. Therefore 80 items are at 1% and one item is at 20%. Does that mean that that item is most popular? Of course not since 80% of people wanted something else. They just couldn't agree on the same thing.

Edited April 22, 2013 by tomjscott

[NIAD]

Let me guess, you work in the advertising/marketing field with a lean toward statistics analysis? Anyway, very well stated.

 

My answer to this dilemna is to make them all, in due time, but start with Pengo since we already have the other three titles on the CV .

[tomjscott]

Let me guess, you work in the advertising/marketing field with a lean toward statistics analysis? Anyway, very well stated.

 

My answer to this dilemna is to make them all, in due time, but start with Pengo since we already have the other three titles on the CV .

 

No, I haven't even studied statistics. I did learn a little bit about this particular statistical item in a history class once. It amazes me though that most people don't realize it until told and that most polls are based on this flawed system.

[kaz321123]

The fact people are voting in this poll at all indicates relative interest in the device and games imho.

 

Compared to other polls ran on Atari age about various topics, how does this poll rank (for interest let's say)?

 

Even tho I voted for Donkey Kong Jr., I'm interested in pretty much any mainstream type game (let's just say anything listed in mame as the 'golden age'.)

 

I'm not as familiar with msx type games (except Gradius). I think Contra was another msx title. But some msx titles I have never played.

 

Is it easier to 'port' an msx game to coleco than make a 'mame' game (dk, pac-man, dig-dug etc) for colecovision? Because the coding is already there? I'm just curious-plus I'm a newbie to this.

[Pixelboy]

I'm not as familiar with msx type games (except Gradius). I think Contra was another msx title. But some msx titles I have never played.

 

Heed my warning: Stay away from Contra on MSX, it's a dud. An even bigger MSX dud is Green Beret (a.k.a. Rush'n Attack).

 

Is it easier to 'port' an msx game to coleco than make a 'mame' game (dk, pac-man, dig-dug etc) for colecovision? Because the coding is already there? I'm just curious-plus I'm a newbie to this.

 

Porting a game from one computer/console to another is always a case-by-case thing. For example, opcode tried to port the SG-1000 version of Hang On II to the ColecoVision a couple of years ago, but he never got it to work quite right, so he gave up on it. The SG-1000 and ColecoVision are very similar, but the subtle hardware differences can sometimes make a port near impossible to do. It depends how the game itself was programmed, or in other words, how complex it is under the hood.

 

As for arcade games, if the game uses a Z80 CPU (like Donkey Kong, for example) then it can be ported more or less easely to the ColecoVision, especially now that we have the Super Game Module which gives the console more RAM to work with. If the desired arcade game uses something else than a Z80 CPU, then you may just as well rewrite the arcade game completely from scratch for the ColecoVision. Also keep in mind that arcade games can be very strange beasts, because at the time, the sky was the limit in terms of the hardware programmers could use. Some arcade machines had multiple CPUs to distribute the workload (graphics, sounds, game logic, even controllers) to keep the game from slowing down. Obviously, those funky machines are harder to port to the ColecoVision, even if their main CPU is a Z80.